Nearly one third of the apps in BlackBerry world come from the same developer

Have you ever wanted to “hear the distinctive sound of a shaver” on your smartphone? If you own a BlackBerry device you can, thanks to the app Mega Shaver. The software was developed by S4BB Limited, a Hong Kong based company which is also responsible for 48,000 other apps available in BlackBerry World. You read that right. As initially spotted by BerryReview, one developer is responsible for a third of all the apps in BlackBerry World.

A well-developed app ecosystem has long been a stumbling block for BlackBerry, which lags far behind Android and iOS in the number of apps available in its mobile app store. But this news makes the situation even more desperate, especially after BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins announced that BlackBerry World hit a milestone 120,000 apps back in May. This means that without S4BB Limited, BlackBerry World would be home to well under 100,000 apps.

On top of that, while the quantity of apps in your store is something to brag about, the quality of apps is arguably more important. I can’t imagine a single developer maintaining the utmost dedication to quality while pumping out thousands of apps. And just what kind of apps does S4BB Limited make? Well, in addition to the aforementioned Mega Shaver, it is responsible for some other gems, like Mega Machine Gun and Mega Fart. There are some more usable apps in there, including search tools and countless city guides, but overall, we are not talking about award-winning content.

In a statement regarding BlackBerry World to TechCrunch, a BlackBerry spokesperson said, “Discoverability in overcrowded stores continues to be an issue affecting all developers. This is why we have worked hand in hand with developers on the Built for BlackBerry program to help showcase apps and games that exemplify the power of BlackBerry 10.”

This is not a good news for BlackBerry, which recently announced it is considering a sale or partnership to stay in the market. And this is not good news for consumers, who may have bought a BlackBerry smartphone expecting to find a lot more apps.

As for me, I’d take one Netflix app over ten Mega Burp apps any day. Unfortunately for BlackBerry, it appears that many other smartphone users would too.